Conversion of high boiling liquid organic materials to lower boiling materials

Abstract

An improvement in the conversion of high boiling liquid organic materials to low boiling materials, and more particularly, in the process of converting heavy hydrocarbon oil feedstocks to fuel range liquids is described. In its broadest aspects, the invention comprises a process for converting high boiling hydrocarbons to lower boiling materials characterized by an increase in aromatic content and a lower pour point which comprises contacting said high boiling hydrocarbons with water at a temperature of from about 600° F. to about 875° F. at a pressure of at least about 2000 psi in the absence of any externally supplied catalysts, and wherein the weight ratio of water to high boiling hydrocarbons is from about 0.5:1 to about 1:1, and the water and high boiling hydrocarbon form a substantially single phase system under the elevated temperature and pressure conditions utilized.

I claim: 
     
       1. A process for converting high boiling hydrocarbons to lower boiling materials characterized by an increase in aromatic content and a lower pour point which comprises contacting said high boiling hydrocarbons with water at a temperature of from about 600° F. to about 875° F. at a pressure of at least about 2000 psi in the absence of any externally supplied catalysts, and wherein the weight ratio of water to high boiling hydrocarbons is from about 0.5:1 to about 0.7:1, and the water and high boiling hydrocarbon form a substantially single phase system under the elevated temperature and pressure conditions utilized. 
     
     
       2. The process of claim 1 wherein the high boiling hydrocarbon is a heavy hydrocarbon oil selected from the group consisting of shale oil, coal oil, bitumen or a heavy hydrocarbon oil. 
     
     
       3. The process of claim 1 wherein the temperature is from about 700° F. to about 850° F. 
     
     
       4. The process of claim 1 wherein the pressure is from about 2000 to about 10,000 psi. 
     
     
       5. The process of claim 1 wherein the temperature is from about 800° F. to about 850° F. 
     
     
       6. The process of claim 1 wherein the pressure is from about 4000 to about 6000 psi. 
     
     
       7. The process of claim 1 wherein the high boiling hydrocarbon is a heavy crude oil or crude oil distillation residue. 
     
     
       8. A process for converting high boiling hydrocarbons to lower boiling materials characterized by an increase in aromatic content and a lower pour point which comprises contacting said high boiling hydrocarbon with water at a temperature of from about 700° F. to about 875° F. at a pressure of from about 2000 to about 10,000 psi in the absence of any externally supplied catalyst wherein the weight ratio of water to high boiling hydrocarbon is from about 0.5:1 to about 0.7:1, and the high boiling hydrocarbon and water form a substantially single phase system under the elevated temperature and pressure conditions utilized. 
     
     
       9. The process of claim 8 wherein the high boiling hydrocarbon is shale oil, heavy crude oil or a crude oil distillation residue. 
     
     
       10. The process of claim 8 wherein the weight ratio of water to high boiling hydrocarbon is about 0.5:1. 
     
     
       11. The process of claim 8 wherein the temperature is from about 700° F. to about 850° F. 
     
     
       12. The process of claim 8 wherein the pressure is from about 4000 to about 6000 psi. 
     
     
       13. A process for recovering lower boiling materials characterized by an increase in aromatic content in a lower pour point from high boiling hydrocarbons which comprises the steps of (A) contacting the high boiling hydrocarbons with water at a temperature of from about 600° F. to about 875° F. at a pressure of from about 2000 to about 10,000 psi in the absence of any externally supplied catalysts for a period of time sufficient to provide a conversion of at least some of the high boiling hydrocarbons to lower boiling materials, and wherein the weight ratio of water to high boiling hydrocarbon is from about 0.5:1 to about 0.7:1, and the high boiling hydrocarbon and water form a substantially single phase system under the elevated temperature and pressure conditions utilized;   (B) allowing the mixture to form an aqueous phase and an organic phase; and   (C) separating and recovering the organic phase from the aqueous phase.   
     
     
       14. The process of claim 13 wherein the heavy hydrocarbon oil is heavy crude oil, shale oil, coal oil, bitumen, a crude oil distillation residue 
     
     
       15. The process of claim 13 wherein the high boiling hydrocarbon is in contact with the water in step (A) for a period of time sufficient to convert at least a portion of the high boiling hydrocarbon to the desired lower boiling material. 
     
     
       16. The process of claim 13 wherein the pressure is from about 4000 to about 6000 psi. 
     
     
       17. The process of claim 13 wherein the mixture is allowed to form an aqueous phase and an organic phase in step (B) by reducing the pressure or the temperature or both. 
     
     
       18. The product obtained by the process of claim 1. 
     
     
       19. The organic phase obtained by the process of claim 13.